CHICAGO, Ill. (October 30, 2025)—The Illinois General Assembly passed a comprehensive energy bill today, the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA, SB25), that further cements the state as a leader in pursuing an equitable clean energy transition. The bill comes amid relentless attacks against clean energy by the Trump administration and its fossil fuel allies, as well as spikes in electricity bills caused in part by increased demand from data centers.
The legislation strives to increase customer savings and equity in several ways. It introduces new energy planning tools for Illinois agencies and utilities, expands cost-saving energy efficiency programs, solidifies funding for wind and solar power, and creates new programs and incentives to help all customers benefit from resources like rooftop solar and residential batteries. The bill also adopts policy recommendations made by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) to deploy battery storage resources in Illinois, improving access to clean electricity and helping lower costs when replacing old, polluting fossil fuel power plants. CRGA also bolsters workforce and contractor development programs geared toward persons who would benefit most from equitable investments by the state.
Below is a statement by James Gignac, Midwest policy director for the Climate and Energy Program at UCS.
“Passage of the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act underscores a powerful commitment by state legislators to a healthier, more prosperous and more affordable energy future for all of Illinois. The legislation bolsters tools and programs the state needs to achieve its clean energy goals and rebukes recent federal efforts to undermine abundant, cost-effective wind and solar power. Lawmakers have built a solid foundation to address rising electricity demand and power price volatility fostered by data centers. Today, policymakers chose to make smart, responsible investments and safeguard a clean energy future while protecting Illinoisans from prospective cost spikes, and that’s something to celebrate.”
Additional Resources:
- CRGA factsheet, Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition
- Blog post by Gignac on Illinois achieving zero-carbon pollution from electricity generation by 2045 (CEJA)
- UCS policy brief examining $239 million in data center transmission costs in Illinois